A number of weeks went by and an election happened, one with surprising results that vaulted two scheduled speakers at the conference into newfound prominence. One was Brian’s law school classmate, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, now President-elect Donald Trump’s prospective chief of staff. The other was Anthony Scaramucci, founder of hedge fund SkyBridge Capital and a more recent and reluctant supporter of Trump's who only came around once it seemed inevitable that The Donald would get the nomination.

Just before 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, though, as Hamburger was on stage to introduce (we assumed) Scaramucci, Brian reminded all of us reporters poised over our computers that the theme of the conference was change, and we were about to experience some. Scaramucci had been called away by the man he once called an “inherited-money dude” and a “hack politician.” In his place would be the woman who became Trump’s third campaign manager and who has gotten a lot of credit for the Trump victory, Kellyanne Conway. See: MarketCounsel Summit weathers Trump mayhem as Scaramucci and Priebus bail and Kellyanne Conway makes a night flight to Miami

Later, in an off-stage exchange with AdvisorHub editor Jed Horowitz, Conway that revealed that Trump is keeping his options open regarding the DOL rule.

"I wanted to know was whether DOL rule was even on his radar, and she affirmed that it was," Horowitz said in an emailed note. "The paraphrase is precisely right...as I was asking her if I could connect the dots between Scaramucci's views and his access to Trump, she quickly interrupted saying not to make the connection because Trump does what he does, thinks what he thinks, etc."

How to win an election

First to come and the last to leave, working for that minimum wage -- but all smiles on Sunday.

After Conway strode onto the stage in a pink-and-black flowered scuba dress and black-studded, very, very, very high heels that actually seemed to pitch her forward, she proceeded to explain how she had helped Trump win.

“Don’t presume who the electorate is. Let them tell you who they are.”

“We had one slogan. The Clinton campaign poll-tested 82.”

“It’s a month after the election. I still don’t think I could tell you what Hillary Clinton’s message was.”

“He was talking to people. Hillary was talking about him.”

“It wasn’t enough to make him look anti-female and boorish. There’s a difference between what may offend you and what absolutely affects you.”

Conway did mention that she receives death threats.

I asked Jason Lahita of FiComm Partners LLC, who was handling PR for the conference, what the odds were of Priebus making it on Wednesday. He said 80%-20%. By Wednesday morning, that was 100%/0%, with no replacement. The sessions were extended to cover his time.

When Rhoades made that pronouncement to me in a private interview afterward, this big bear of a man in his blue blazer, red shirt and khakis looked genuinely crestfallen and concerned about how Americans’ retirement savings could be affected.

Lahita had texted Carson on my behalf and been told he had no time for an interview. He also had a miserable cold. Still, I found him, and asked about Cetera Financial Group. He simply turned and walked away.

Carson denied Tuesday to AdvisorHub's Mason Braswell that he plans to defect to a rival brokerage firm.

“I don’t know where they got that,” he told the writer in an interview on the sidelines of the MarketCounsel Summit in Miami Beach. “We’re all sitting here laughing.”

I had taken pictures of Rhoades after talking to him, but, like me, they apparently didn’t want to leave 80-degrees-and-sunny in Miami for 40- degrees-and-wintry-mix in New York. The pictures eventually made their way there, but only with the help of my brother at his business in Manhattan. He said let’s try a half text, half email approach. Text them to me, and I’ll email them. It worked. He gets a production assistant credit.

Road warrior

Tuesday night, I heard the term "freedom score" for the first time. Marie Swift and her company, Impact Communications Inc., had a bunch of us media folks to dinner at StripSteak in the Fontainebleau, and between the Cabernet and the many courses I learned about it from Scottrade’s Brian Stimpfl.

That score measures how close you are to achieving your retirement goals, to living the life you want. Stimpfl jets around more than almost anyone I have ever met, to St. Louis, where he works, and just about anyplace else you can think of. He is on the road Monday through Friday, only spending weekends with his family on Long Island. But he is living the life he wants.

“There’s nothing better than getting in there with the people who are really doing it,” he says with wide eyes and a pumped fist while describing his travels to meet with advisors all over the country. “I just love what I do.”

Tech pills

Since it is just plain cruel to be in Miami and at the Fontainebleau without getting to put your bathing suit on and swim the length of the lagoon pool, I did.

Wednesday’s lunch in the ballroom was accompanied by a media panel offering up their most notable stories of the year. One reporter said he had read a story about an African village where no one had heard of the United States of America.

Outside the ballroom is, of course, the exhibit hall, with companies and their latest marketing tools, like a prescription bottle of “pills” for your technology migraines, billiard balls to keep you on your game, and pancake art. Yes, pancakes in the shape of and painted with company logos, like the one for Vestwell, looking like it belongs on a box of laundry detergent from the 50s.

My flight home was delayed 90 minutes, to 9:15 Wednesday night. Since it is just plain cruel to be in Miami and at the Fontainebleau without getting to put your bathing suit on and swim the length of the lagoon pool, I did. By then it was time for the down coat, the boots, the 40-buck cab ride to the airport, a two- -and-a half-hour flight, and a midnight landing at LaGuardia.

123CFP said:

December 10, 2016 — 7:29 PM UTC

I guess reporting in the financial services industry isn't immune from a clear liberal bias.
You go out of your way to mention how Anthony Scaramucci was a "reluctant" Trump supporter (I guess he told you this) and referred to negative comments he made about Trump 4 months ago during the heat of a primary election. Should I remind you of some of the comments President Obama made about Hillary Clinton 4 years ago during a tough primary? Yet, Obama supported her in this year's general election (it happens every election year, stop being so naive).
Then, you fail to mention how Conway was the first female to run a successful Presidential election, instead opting only to call her "Trump’s third campaign manager" despite the fact that most pundits on both sides call her orchestration of the campaign brilliant and one of the greatest upsets in Presidential election history. Finally, I'd like to hear how much outrage there would be if a male reporter wrote the story of Conway's outfit using the same verbiage you did "pink-and-black flowered scuba dress and black-studded, very, very, very high heels that actually seemed to pitch her forward". Really???
Keep sneering down your nose past your triple-mocha latte in disgust at the 60+ million voters who put Trump into office and you'll make reelection in 2020 quite easy.

Marie Swift said:

December 13, 2016 — 2:37 AM UTC

Hey 123CFP -- would you kindly sign your name so we know whose comments we are reading? Thanks, Marie

Submit your comments:

Name

Email

Register on Gravatar.com for your photo to be included. (It’s fast and free, and your photo will also show on all of your existing comments.)